1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system for attaching an assortment of personal items, ordinarily carried by persons engaged in hiking or mountain climbing and the like, to a backpack, knapsack, rucksack, travel bag, fishing vest, lumbar pack, hiking belt or the like for easy attachment and detachment by the user.
2. Description of Related Art
Hiking, fishing, rock climbing, etc. . . in wilderness areas are popular recreational past times. Persons who take part in such activities usually wear a backpack, vest or the like to carry an assortment of objects which become necessary or desirable during the activity. Such objects include a water bottle, first aid, tools, flashlight, food, eyeglasses and various other personal items. During rock climbing and mountain climbing, a person may also wear a belt which conveniently attaches climbing implements (e.g., an ice axe), tools, and other personal items for easy access. It is also common to attach small, modular pouches to the outside surfaces of backpacks, belts and the like. Such modular pouches can hold various personal items, such as a small water bottle.
It should be appreciated that the climber's or hiker's access to tools and the like is advantageously quick and convenient. Such items are commonly attached to canvas backpacks or vests, or to belts, using a strap and a buckle or other fastener for securing the strap. The strap is secured to the canvas backpack via a lash tab. A lash tab is generally a plastic square which is sewn to the canvas of the backpack. The lash tab includes an elevated region which is spaced from the outside surface of the backpack and which defines a pair of slots on opposite sides thereof for receiving a strap or webbing therethrough. The strap then secures the object to be attached to the backpack via a buckle or other fastener. An example of a lash tab is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,333. The lash tab/strap/fastener combination is also a common way to attach other items, such as modular pouches used to hold water bottles, to a backpack or belt.
One drawback to the lash tab/strap/fastener system is that the webbing must be properly fed and adjusted through the buckle or fastener to securely attach the modular pouch or the like to the belt or backpack. The webbing must be removed and adjusted each time to slide the modular pouch in place. This requires some dexterity on the part of the user, however, in some situations, particularly in cold weather where gloves or mittens are worn, feeding and adjusting a strap is not convenient. An additional drawback is that the known system cannot be effectively used on fly fishing vests. Therefore, it would be desirable to have an attachment mechanism which requires little or no dexterity, and which allows for easier and more convenient attachment and detachment of an assortment of items to a backpack, belt, vest or the like.
My U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,045 meets this need with respect to certain tools which are commonly attached to backpacks, such as ice axes and picks. This patent teaches a tension fastener which eliminates the need for the use of a strap and buckle to attach such tools to the backpack. Although this tension fastener is effective for conveniently attaching certain tools to backpacks and the like, it is not universal in its application and because personal items cannot be attached using the tension fastener. For example, use of the tension fastener is not a convenient and effective way to attach a modular pouch to a backpack or a climbing belt.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have an attachment system for backpacks, rucksacks, travel bags, knapsacks, lumbar packs, fishing vests, hiking belts and the like which easily and conveniently attaches a wide assortment of different objects.